Scared Money Don’t Make None
There are many ways to think of your poker money. You can be stupid with it, or silly even, making absurd bets inappropriately. But one of the worst ways to think about managing your money is to think of it with the fear of losing it. It’s called scared money.
Short stacks, and people who just have that aura that they fear leaving the casino broke, that is your classic example of scared money. The reason this is such a damaging state of mind is that you will rarely be able to make optimal because your emotional state of worrying about going home broke limits your ability to make rational decisions. When the emotional mind takes over, it’s hard for the logical mind to come back into focus and take control.
Because of that, poker opponents will be able to pick your stack off with bluffs, and bigger bets, the majority of the time when you actually have the winning hand, but are scared to call because you fear you “just might not.”
And there are several factors that lead to scared money syndrome. Maybe you’re playing over your stake level, or you’ve been on a massive downswing. Whatever the reason, there is a cure. It’s simple actually, you move down in stakes, or you replenish your bankroll before you play anymore. Period. By doing this, you avoid the emotional trap of worrying about going broke. Once you learn bankroll management, you’ll seldom find yourself in a position where you’re playing with scared money. And when you’re in that position, you’ll be playing a more optimal game. Watch out for this when you’re playing poker online.
